The Business Of Glamping And Unique Holiday Rentals

Pitching to any investor is difficult but imagine being surrounded by TV cameras, studio lights and four dragon investors. That's another level! This is exactly what Derry Green of Secret Garden Glamping did when he pitched his idea on the Dragons Den (also known in the USA as Shark Tank).

In this episode Derry shares how it came about, his results and how it all works behind the scenes. He also shares his top tips for attracting investment for any hospitality idea and what he hopes to achieve with his new project.

This is an inspirational episode full of top tips from a seasoned glamping business owner running one of the most successful sites in the United Kingdom.

For more information or to get in touch with Derry Green visit his website:

https://www.thesecretgardenglamping.uk/

To get in touch with Sarah Riley at the Glamping Academy hosted by Inspired Courses, visit

https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/ 

How can you make your guest attraction marketing easier?

Are there tools you can use and how does that work?

Today I invite you into the brave new world of marketing with AI and using tools available to help you with guest attraction.

This episode is perfect for anyone struggling to attract the customers they want and unable to find the time to make a difference to their numbers.

To find out more about Ben Kilner and his current projects, go to https://benkilner.com

To access his AI expertise, go to https://aiinbusiness.co

We provide these inspirations for your benefit... for free... so we would love to receive a positive review or comment in return, which helps us smile and find the motivation to do more for you in return.

You can subscribe to the podcast to receive notifications of all new episodes as soon as they go live.

If you would like to speak with Sarah Riley then please reach out via:

The Glamping Academy https://glamping.academy

Or Inspired Courses https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Thank you.

How can we build tourism businesses that are kinder and more regenerative to the environment, healthy to the worker, pleasing to the guest, engaging to the community and profitable to the owner?

We don't operate in bubbles so we have to work together to create solutions that everyone will win from in the long term, including Mother Earth.

In this optimistic sustainability conversation, Sarah Riley talked with Professor Dr. Willy Legrand about how the eco-resort, luxury camping and glamping industries can help strengthen the bond between the hospitality and nature and how it has the potential to influence the wider tourism industry. We also discussed:

• industry best practices
• redefining eco-luxury in hospitality
• greenwashing
• reinvesting in nature

If you are a trailblazer and have been involved in sustainable best practices in hospitality that you are proud of then Dr. Willy Legrand would like to hear from you. Please contact him through LinkedIn or his email below.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-willy-legrand/

Email: willy.legrand@iu.org

With expert tips and advice, you can create a successful and profitable eco-accommodation glamping business that provides your customers with the perfect balance of luxury and nature and you with the perfect lifestyle business.

Sarah Riley - The Glamping Academy

Learn what it takes to launch a glamping business here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com

Join the Start Up And Grow Club here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club

Take part in the Masterclasses here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/masterclasses

Contact Sarah through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahrileyuk/

All show notes from the Glamping Business Podcast can be found here: https://www.inspiredcamping.com/category/podcast/

What inspires a family to start a glamping business while their country is at war, they are faced with a pandemic and have 5 young children?

We all deal with challenges in different ways. I know that when I’m struggling, all I need to do is listen to the inspirational stories of others to get motivated again.

My mind was blown by what Ulyana and her husband Andrii have achieved in Ukraine, and despite all their challenges, they knew they were building more than a business. They were building a dream!

So get ready to be inspired by the Mala Richka story!

If you're ready to take the plunge into the luxury outdoor accommodation industry, then this is for you. With expert tips and advice, you can create a successful and profitable glamping business that provides your customers with the perfect balance of luxury and nature and you with the perfect lifestyle business.

Learn what it takes to launch a glamping business here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Join the Start Up And Grow Club here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club

Take part in the Masterclasses here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/masterclasses

Show notes from the Glamping Business Podcast: https://www.inspiredcamping.com/category/podcast/ 

Contact Ulyana and Andrii at Mama Richka: https://malarichka.com

Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malarichka/related_profiles/

Find them on the map: 

https://www.google.com.ua/maps/place/Mala+Richka,+Kempinh/@49.0898558,23.5074827,16z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x473a3b4174e6533f:0x82f0f40ad50d97cc!8m2!3d49.0912883!4d23.5096999!16s%2Fg%2F11pvbdw13j

Lilypod Glamping is a unique floating sanctuary designed with love and handbuilt with passion in Devon UK. It is a unique stay inspired by nature using the natural wonder of timber. It is low carbon, off-grid short stay unique accommodation that uses natural materials to make an eco-tourism offering worth visiting.

Nestled on a stunning lake at Alder Farm, hushed by mature deciduous trees on the border of Dartmoor. With local activities in abundance, ranging from spas to wild swimming, horse riding in the National Park, local farm shops, unique towns and awesome pubs, this is a glamping stay worth experiencing. 

In this episode I speak with the Lilypods designer and builder about the highs and lows of creating such a unique space and how important it was to him to find such a stunning location and then develop something to gently on the environment.

This episode is both inspirational and aspirational and demonstrates that you don't need to be neglectful of sustainable practices when designing something truly amazing in the genre of low carbon, ecologically responsible off-grid glamping.

If you are thinking of visiting Lilypod, be quick before the secret gets out! 

Lilypod Website: https://lilypod.uk/

Location: MR7R+VG Lewdown, Okehampton

We provide these inspirations for free for your benefit so we would love to receive a positive review or comment in return, which really helps. 

You can also subscribe to the podcast to receive notifications of all new episodes as soon as they go live.

If you would like to speak with Sarah Riley then reach out via The Glamping Academy https://glamping.academy  hosted by https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/ 

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Louis Thompson who is the founder and CEO of multiple businesses including Nomadic Resorts, an award-winning architectural and landscape design office that delivers innovative, experiential hospitality projects across the planet.

His company designs bespoke green building projects for various luxury hotel groups including Soneva, Banyan Tree, Playa Viva, Neom and Resplendent Ceylon.

Louis also founded Nomadic Escapes, a new outdoor hospitality management company focussed on, biophilic tented experiences; net zero carbon operations, re-wilding and regenerative landscaping.

Throughout his career, Louis has worked at the cutting edge of green building and landscaping projects including the pioneering Farm to Fork treetop restaurant at Soneva Fushi, the Treetop Dining Pod at Soneva Kiri and the innovative bamboo treehouses at Playa Viva.

In this episode, we talk about the future of experiential travel, sustainability by design, how to develop a community-enhancing regenerative approach and how unique structures are key to attracting the attention of the right type of guest for unique hospitality resorts. 

We also touch on the wellness travel trend, designing the needs of guests into the core of a unique offer and how social media influences all of this.

Finally, we discussed what glamping has that helps it stand out from the bigger hotels and resorts to help it survive the growing competition in the marketplace.

Contact:

Louis Thompson here: https://nomadicresorts.com/

Sarah Riley here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

For more about this podcast and how to take part visit here: 

https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

Kerry has been a successful glamping business owner for many years. She has single-handedly managed multiple businesses and has had her fair share of ups and downs. She is also known to share generously and talk openly about industry vitals while others keep their cards close to their chests.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Key glamping events in the calendar we are looking forward to most this year
• The most important part of glamping that some owners miss today
• Industry insights from a serial glamping business owner and TV star
• What it's really like to start a glamping business on rented land
• Her tips for starting a glamping business in a foreign country without even knowing the local language
• How this style of hospitality can be a retirement plan and a passive income if managed right
• Why location, location, location is still number 1 for attracting repeat guests
• And how to price your offering competitively in the market at the moment

Learn from one of the most established glamping business entrepreneurs in the industry at these events.

The Glamping Business Start Up And Grow Retreat - 16-20 October

Click here to spend 5 days with Kerry Roy and Sarah Riley helping you build your business in person: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/italy-retreat

Eco-Resort Network - Montenegro 24-26 May

Enjoy your breakfast with an industry giant like Sarah Dusek, Founder of Under Canvas and Bill Bensley, Founder of Bensley Hotel Designs at The Eco-Resort Network in Montenegro. We have been able to negotiate a 25% discount on a delegate pass and money off your hotel booking https://www.ecoresort.network/

Use coupon:  INSPIRED250

This will discount €250 from the delegate ticket price. You can also find the 15% hotel discount code and link through the organiser's website

See you there!

Inspired Courses and The Glamping Academy

Always take the time to hunt out the experts and speak with those who are generous enough to share their expertise in the industry. Especially when they have been working within it for so many years. This is why I was happy to welcome Phil Russell from Tor View Shepherds Huts in Somerset onto the show.

In this episode, Phil shares his insights into the industry and the typical glamping guest. He also talks about the thing that surprises him the most about some guests that stay with him. Having been in business for 10 years now, he discusses the top things that have led to his success and how his determination was key. He also talks about maintaining his team and how he has built it to support him where he needs it most. Phil finally shares what he would do first if he was starting from scratch again and how having a seasonal lifestyle business really works with his personal passion to travel. 

Contact Sarah Riley at The Glamping academy https://glamping.academy

Visit the Masterclasses at: https://inspiredcourses.com

Contact Phil Russell at: https://torviewshepherdshuts.co.uk/

What sustainability practices are most appreciated by guests and what services are being used to attract eco-tourists and those with a preference towards environmentally sensitive businesses?

Rachel Bowers has been deciphering guest preferences on glamping offerings, boutique hotels and unique hospitality and how eco-travel does not mean guests need to sacrifice the quality of the service they receive. 

It's very rare to find research on this topic that includes guest and operator surveys for this industry, so when something comes along I want to hear about it. That’s why I invited Rachel onto the podcast to talk about her project and what it means for sustainability.

The need for environmental elements to become a priority in hospitality design is clear, but which ones are best and how is it all being fueled by the rising eco-travel demands of the younger generations?

This podcast episode has been supported by The Start Up And Grow Club and The Glamping Academy, hosted by Inspired Courses. For more information please visit:

The Club: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club

The Glamping Academy: https://glamping.academy/

Inspired Courses: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Rachel Bowers has kindly offered to share her research and you can contact her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbowers/

If you found this episode helpful, we would love your review of this episode and particularly to give Rachel your thanks. 

Looking forward to you joining me again soon.

Sarah Riley - The Glamping Academy

If you start a small glamping business with your kids for something to do because your existing transport business has failed due to the pandemic, is it realistic to think you might get booked out for 2 years in advance, gain hundreds of thousands of social media followers and will soon need to expand your site as the awards keep rolling in? 

Well, apparently it is!

Derry Green is the founder of The Secret Garden Glamping and in this podcast episode, he shares the inspirational story behind his business, the catalysts that caused it to take off so fast, what his key successes have been, his social media growth strategy and where he thinks the industry is going right now.

If you enjoyed this please leave a review and share your thanks and comments with podcast host Sarah Riley and her guest Derry Green.

The Secret Garden Glamping - https://www.thesecretgardenglamping.uk/

The Glamping Academy - https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

More from the podcast - https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

It is estimated there are over 700 million websites in the world so how can a glamping business, eco-resort or unique hospitality possibly stand out from the crowd and get noticed?

In this episode, I talk with Malcolm Freeman, Director of Oxygen Graphics, a company that helps glamping businesses get up and running with their websites, digital assets and overall online strategy to generate an impact.

This episode is packed with nuggets of gold for anyone wanting to get their business noticed by customers online and attract guests.

As well as talking about the top 5 elements that need to be featured on a glamping website to attract bookings, we also discuss:

• The biggest struggles faced by hospitality hosts online today
• How to get your website to do the hard work for you
• What elements must be included in a unique hospitality business website 
• Why you shouldn't be relying on Facebook to promote your business
• How guests expect to book their glamping stays
• The website content balance that works in the industry
• The time involved for the owner when getting online
• How you can avoid losing bookings to your competitors
• The likely cost of getting a website developer involved in your project
• What Web 3.0 is and how it will impact unique hospitality in the future

Contact Malcolm Freeman at Oxygen Graphics:

https://www.oxygengraphics.co.uk/

Contact Sarah Riley at The Glamping Business Academy:

https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

Additional show notes can be found on Inspired Camping

https://www.inspiredcamping.com/category/podcast/

We've known for many years that farmers can use glamping to manage income fluctuations, but what is it really like to run this style of business alongside the demands of farming and does it really allow them to diversify their farm income?

Meadow Field Luxury Glamping is situated in Harborough Magna, Rugby in Warwickshire. Jules Mold is passionate about providing a high-end service for her guests and has worked hard to deliver something she would enjoy, which for her is the litmus test to getting it right. After a challenging time during the pandemic and having to delay the launch of her business, she has refined it further and is now being invited to industry events to showcase what she has achieved.

This episode #055 was filmed on-site at Meadow Field Luxury Glamping with Jules and is shared on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/inspiredcamping in this video https://youtu.be/RSwRZAnHLLY

The interesting thing about glamping is how it’s attracting an entirely new group of customers into outdoor hospitality. Those who have never considered traditional camping are exploring the possibilities of glamping in comparison to bed and breakfast services. This is opening up new opportunities and prospects for farmers to get involved in this exciting tourist market.

Contact Sarah here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

Visit Meadow Field Luxury Glamping: https://www.meadowfieldglamping.co.uk/

More reading:

https://www.inspiredcamping.com/farmers-landowners-glamping-business-manage-income-fluctuations/

More from the podcast: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

Today I am speaking with Sarah Dusek of Under Canvas USA and Enygma Ventures, a purpose-driven business support fund and investment organisation. We talk about everything from glamping business news to investment success and current market updates.

I also asked Sarah what her view is of the glamping industry today and where she thinks it's going with experiential accommodation, boutique luxury services and new eco-resort offerings in the future.

Today’s episode is brought to you by The Start-Up And Grow Club https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club which offers an accelerator program and support group for those who want to set up their unique holiday rental, eco-resort or glamping businesses quickly.

More information about this episode:

Under Canvas® https://www.undercanvas.com/ Upscale Outdoor Accommodation, Glamping and Luxury Camping 

Enygma Ventures https://www.enygmaventures.com/ A purpose-driven business support fund

The Glamping Academy https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/  Everything you need to start up and grow a retreat, unique holiday rental or glamping business

Today's episode is with Noelle Homsy from ENVI Lodges https://envilodges.com/ an award-winning founder listed in the 50 most influential hoteliers in the Middle East. We chat about the future of experiential tourism, eco-resorts and glamping, and her recent experience of raising significant investments. Noelle is a strategic thinker who knows how to avoid getting bogged down in the weeds when it comes to funding her ideas and in this episode, she shares insights and tips so others can do the same.

This episode is brought to you by The Start Up And Grow Club, https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club/ an accelerator program, community and support system for new hosts of unique holiday rentals, eco-resorts and glamping businesses.

You can contact Sarah Riley through the Glamping Academy  http://glamping.academy/ and listen to more podcast episodes on Inspired Courses https://inspiredcourses.com/podcast 

How can you enhance the guest experience to keep them coming back for more without adding to the hosts' list of things to do? This can be achieved with automated guest onboarding and farewells that lead to satisfied guests who want to leave raving reviews and tell all their friends about your short-stay accommodation. These examples of best practices, using Digital Guest Books, are no longer just nice-to-do but are rapidly becoming expected by customers. So it's time to embrace new technology and join the pack leaders to promote your glamping business or unique accommodation. In this episode, Andy McNulty from TouchStay shows us how. To read more about Digital Guest Books - What they are and how you can set one up easily, click here for the blog https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/blog/guest-welcome-packs-digital-guestbooks-guest-experience-ideas 

This episode is brought to you by the Glamping Academy and the Start Up And Grow Club www.glamping.academy   www.inspiredcourses.com/club 

As the hospitality, luxury resort and glamping industries increase in competitiveness so does the need to stand out from the crowd. This episode highlights six real-world examples and best practices that wow the guest by enhancing their experience so you can be inspired to do the same. This episode is brought to you by the Glamping Academy and the Start Up And Grow Club www.glamping.academy   www.inspiredcourses.com/club 

It's great to be a pioneer but it can be hard work starting from scratch. Instead, learning quickly from pioneers who have gone before us can save time and money while figuring out what works. This is why we have so much to gain by paying attention to the hotel model and applying it to the modern world of glamping, luxury camping, eco-resorts, unique holiday rentals and serviced accommodation.

Todd Wynne-Parry has 30 years of hotel development experience, having held senior leadership positions at several major hotel brands and most recently AutoCamp and Two Roads Hospitality, and shares his insights on the podcast today.

Todd was instrumental in the development efforts for IHG, Starwood and Marriott in the Asia Pacific region and for Two Roads Hospitality globally. He began his career as a hotel consultant in the San Diego office of Laventhol & Horwath, the predecessor to Horwath HTL. He is now Managing Director of Horwath HTL and leads the Outdoor Hospitality practice for North America. Horwath HTL is the largest independent hospitality consultancy with 52 offices worldwide.

Contact Sarah here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Contact Todd here: https://horwathhtl.com/services/outdoor-hospitality-advisory/

Show notes: https://inspiredcamping.com/050

Eco-resort development is encouraging everyone to think bigger in terms of sustainability and business. So what is best practice when it comes to setting up eco-resorts and how can hosts, who have hundreds of ideas when it comes to setting up their business, how can they sense check their eco-resort ideas?

In this episode, I speak with Steph Curtis-Raleigh who is the Publisher of International Glamping Business Magazine and co-organiser of The Eco-Resort Network who shares what an eco-resort is and how it shares its DNA with glamping. For more episodes go to https://inspiredcourses.com/podcast Contact Steph here https://www.glampingbusiness.com/

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review. Thank you.

A day in the life of a glamping site owner. Today I'm speaking with Pat and Emilie of Cielo who I have been privileged to work with. We talk about their glamping hub and how supporting their community has been so key to their success. To find out more about Cielo visit their website here: https://en.glampingcielo.com/ To get further support from Sarah visit The Glamping Academy® Http://glamping.academy

As part of a new complementary sub-series, 'A Day In The Life Of A Glamping Business Owner', I invited Sarah Heyworth from Graig Wen to share her experiences of what it's really like to live and work in a place of outstanding natural beauty while running camping, glamping, holiday cottages and a bed and breakfast (B&B). Glamping Snowdonia - you'll never want to leave. Glamping Academy: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

Show notes: https://inspiredcamping.com/047

The Glamping Academy: http://glamping.academy/